Boston is the place to be to celebrate the Fourth of July.

The celebration begins Wednesday, June 29, with the opening of the 30th annual Boston Harborfest at Faneuil Hall Marketplace and will continue at various venues through Monday, July 4.

More than 200 events have been especially organized to provide entertainment for all ages, including walking tours, noontime concerts, a blockbuster chowder fest, historical reenactments and harbor cruises.

At least half offer free admission. A daily schedule is posted at www.bostonharborfest.com and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BOSHarborfest.

For the first time, Harborfest will present the Extreme Sailing Series at Fan Pier, where 11 multi-hull sailboats from around the world will race each afternoon. Weather permitting, races will take place every afternoon beginning Thursday, June 30. Additional activities include street performers, the Red Bull Air Force skydivers and fireworks.

More details are available at www.extremesailingseries.com and www.fanpierboston.com.

Thursday also has been designated as Children’s Day, featuring music, dance, juggling and crafts from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at City Hall Plaza. Wayne Potash and the Music Fun Band and the Eleanor Rubino Dancers will give three different performances. Children will be able to make crafts related to the city’s historic institutions, such as paper lanterns, paper boats or a flag.

On Saturday at 11 a.m. the British regular soldiers, commonly referred to as the Redcoats, will “invade” Boston. They will come by sea and march up King Street (which is now State Street) to Boston Common. From noon to 4:30 p.m. the British will engage in skirmishes with the costumed Colonial militia and perform military demonstrations.

The annual chowder fest will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 3, at City Hall Plaza. Competing will be the Chart House, Jerry Remy’s, the Anthem Kitchen + Bar and Mr. Dooley’s Boston Tavern, all of Boston, the Ipswich Clambake Company from Ipswich and Clancy’s Restaurant of Dennisport.

More than 2,000 gallons of New England clam chowder will be served up to some 100,000. Tickets are $12 for adults and can be obtained online via www.bostonharborfest.com.

In addition to Wayne Potash’s music Thursday at City Hall Plaza, other musical groups will be performing throughout the six days of festivities. Four Guys in Tuxes will perform after the opening day ceremonies at the Faneuil Hall Marketplace.

Rico Barr and the Jump ’n’ Jive Review will play jazz and rock music from noon to 2:30 p.m. Friday, July 1, followed by the BaHa Brothers, who play classic rock a la Jimmy Buffett.

The Mad Sweet Pangs will offer an interpretation of bluegrass to jazz, described as “Americana folk funk,” from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 2, at the plaza.

The Middlesex County Volunteers, in full regalia, will entertain at the Courtyard at Old City Hall on School Street at 7 p.m. Saturday. In case of rain, they will play at 7 p.m. Sunday, July 3.

For the party on the plaza, the Disco Inferno will be on stage from 7 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Girls Nite Out will open for this nine-piece dance band that offers disco/funk era that people of all ages would enjoy. Their rain date is at 7 p.m. Monday, July 5.

McAlister Drive will play indie, rock and funk rock at the plaza from 2 to 4:30 p.m. This group recently played at the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas.

The culmination, of course, is the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular at the Esplanade, which will be broadcast on WBZ-TV Channel 4 from 8 to 11 p.m. Special guests include musical icon Lionel Richie and Lowell native Michael Chiklis, whose dramatic role as “Commish” led to his landing the part of detective Vic Mackey on “The Shield.” Now Chiklis has cut two singles and will sing an original song at the concert.

A preview concert will be held at the Hatch Shell at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, July 3, which will include the “1812 Overture.”

The oval will open at 4 p.m., and wristbands will be issued to attendees. Details are available at www.july4th.org.

For the July 4 concert, the oval will open at 9 a.m., and similar security measures will be in force. The “1812 Overture” will be played at 9:30 p.m., and the fireworks display will begin to light the sky at 10:30 p.m.

Throughout the celebration, historic sites such as the Paul Revere House, the Old State House, the Old South Meeting House and the Otis House will be open for tours.

Visit www.bostonharborfest.com for the full schedule of events and other activities.